This invention relates to high power infrared lasers, and in particular to means for terminating and providing shielding from the high power beam generated thereby.
It is often necessary to protect various devices such as fusion reactors, satellites, aircraft and the like, from laser beams. It is also necessary in certain laser systems to terminate the laser beam without damage to surrounding equipment or personnel. Currently available means for accomplishing this are often unsatisfactory for various reasons and are usually limited to specific applications. For instance, the use of ablative material for shielding provides means having only a limited life since the material is destroyed in the shielding or beam terminating process. The use of reflecting surfaces, such as mirrors, only serves to deflect the beam, leaving the beam termination problem to be solved at another location. Furthermore, reflective surfaces that are effective at one wavelength may not be effective at another different wavelength, thus limiting the shielding effectiveness to certain lasers. The use of beam diffusing lenses requires advance knowledge of the point of impingement of the laser beam. Although such a means is effective in fixed laser system beam termination, the lens location problem renders it inapplicable for shielding and for use in other laser system applications. There currently exists, therefore, the need for a device that will provide shielding from and the termination of high power laser beams in any of the above enumerated and other applications. The present invention is directed toward achieving this end.